Continuous electrical outlet



Sept. 21, 1937. c. A. HICKMAN ET AL. 2,093,677

CONTINUOUS ELECTRICAL OUTLET Filed April 2, 1956 F" .1. fi G i +6 mg k f,4 FlnZ.

JOHN R. KLFIPPENBEIZGEIZ. CLAUDE fl. HICKMHN.

NITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE g Claude A. Hickman, Portsmouth, Va., and

John V R. Klappenberger, Lansdowne, Md.

- Application April 2, 1936, Serial No. 72,424

This invention refers to electrical 1 Claim.

equipment and more particularly to devices of the plug-in nature forelectric lighting andother purposes. The device is termed acontinuousoutlet, andits 5 purpose is to provide an infinitenumber of locationsfor the convenient plug-in of an attachment connection for taking oiftheelectrical current.

An object of this invention is to have construction of this continuousoutlet such that the attachment plug will be securely held in place atany location selected for plugging-in. Another object is to make theconstruction such that it will be practically self-holding, as well asamply protecting the live parts from accidental crossing orshort-circuiting.

Other objects are to make the device applicable for household use at thebase-boards or mouldings and all around the room; such that plugs may beconveniently and quickly inserted, that will be held in place with acatch in addition to any frictional hold that may be had by the parts,and adapted to be readily fed from a supplying electrical circuit. Otherobjects will become apparent as the invention is more fully set forth.

This device consists of a continuous set of bus-bars that are mounted instrips on a suitable insulating backing. They are recessed back so as tobe out of the Way of accidental contact. A covering is mounted on thebacking and catches on same in such a manner as to be held and alignedthereon. The attachment plug used with the device is inserted fromunderneath and eX- tends in an open space provided in between thebacking and covering and has spring contacts that slip into the recessesprovided by the busbars and lock therein.

In the construction shown in the drawing: Figure 1 is a front view of acontinuous out- .let embodying this invention, and mounted on theconventional base-board of a room,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of Figure 1 on anenlarged scale,

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken along the line 33 of Figure 2,showing the plug in position and locked in place,

Figure 4 is afront view of the attachment plug shown in Figure 3 Withthe backing removed or cut off in section,

ing to the backing, and

Figure 6 is a detail along the line 6--6 of Figure 2 showing the circuitfeed to the device.

Similar reference characters refer parts throughout the drawing.

to similar The continuous outlet is provided with a backing I ofsuitable insulating material, which has longitudinal grooves 2 onitsiront face 3 spaced apart to prevent any electrical leakage orarcing. The upper edge 4 of the backing is bevelled backwardly anddownwardly as indicated to provide a recess for a tapered edge 5 of acovering 6 to engage and look upon; Bus-bars 'l are formed to set backin the recesses 2 and run continuously along the backing. The backing ismade in suitable lengths or sections and may be fastened in place in anyconventional manner Ill and to suit the usual conditions met with. Theends of the lengths may have the busses andthe longitudinal grooves soarranged that alternate pieces may be connected with each other readilywithout causing the bus-bars to project beyond the face 3 of thebacking. The covering 6 is preferably of the form shown in the drawing,providing a space between it and the backing. The covering is ofsuitable insulating material and formed to cover the entire front of thebacking. It has a locking groove 8 running its length which serves topermit a, catch H in the attachment plug I2 to engage with and lock thesame in place.

At predetermined spacings, internal projections l3 on the covering,align with flange members [4 extending from the backing. A machine screwl5 passes through holes IS in the members and threads into tapped holesI"! in the projections 93. This arrangement serves to pull the coveringdown on the backing and make its tapered or bevelled edge 5 look moresecurely in the recess 4, and prevent its coming out of same or beingknocked out of place. This method of attachment also avoids the use ofscrews on the face of the covering Where they might look conspicuous.

The attachment plug I2 is made with metal spring contacts I8 mounted ona stem l9 which is preferably flat with a slightly tapered wedge endportion 29.

These contacts are rounded to make contact to conform with the shape ofthe bus-bars and to slide easily on same. The electricconnections passinto the plug in a conventional manner and attach to the contacts, and ahandle of convenient form is provided to permit the plug to be easilyand safely handled.

At properly spaced intervals, connection blocks to binding posts 25 tosupply the electrical current thereto. Bus-bars 28 are arranged toconnect with the bus-bars of the sections of the continuous outletwithout projecting beyond the face of the insulating material holdingsame, and may be secured positively into contact by screws 21.

In the use of the device, the attachment is simply pushed into placeunder the continuous outlet, until the, contacts [8 are in contact withthe bus-bars l, while the catch I l engages in the groove 8 and locksthe plug in place sufficiently to hold it securely, but not enough toprevent its being removed when desired by the user. The connecting cord30 of the attachment plug connects the light, motor, radio, or otherobject which it is intended for. The plug may be inserted at anyconvenient spot in its length excepting where the lock pieces l4 and theblocks 2! are located.

While but one form of the invention is shown in the drawing, it is notdesired to limit this application for patent to this particular form ofconstruction, otherwise than limited by the prior art, as it isappreciated that other forms of construction could be used that wouldemploy the same principles and come within the scope of the appendedclaim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A continuous outlet for electrical purposes comprising in combination, abacking of insulating material with its upper edge portion bevelleddownwardly from the front to rear face thereof and with spacedlongitudinal recesses in the, front face portion, bus-bars fitted in therecesses with their rear surfaces against the bottom of the recesses andtheir front faces exposed, a covering for the backing of insulatingmaterial with its main wall portion disposed parallel to the backing andspaced therefrom having its upper portion fitting over the bevel surfaceof same, the internal face portion of the covering being provided with alocking groove running longitudinally therein, a, flange memberextending from the face of the backing to space the wall of the coveringrigidly from the backing, a member on the covering aligned with theflange member, means acting between the latter members and parallel tothe face. of the backing to draw the covering and bevelled edge of thebacking together, and an attachment plug for the outlet having spacedcontacts on the same side thereof for contact with the said bus-bars andprovided with a projection for registering with the groove in the cover.

JOHN R. KLAPPENBERGER. CLAUDE A. HICKMAN.

